William Waltman, a 52-year-old man, was tragically killed on April 27, 2022, in a violent carjacking in Gulfport, Mississippi. He was a contract employee with the city of Gulfport, working as a lead electrician, and was reportedly showing a new employee the ropes at the time of the incident. The events that led to his death began earlier that day in nearby Biloxi, initiating a crime spree that would ultimately claim five lives, including that of the suspect.
The perpetrator was
identified as 32-year-old Jeremy Reynolds. Before his deadly encounter with Waltman, Reynolds had shot and killed three individuals at the Broadway Inn Express in Biloxi. The victims at the hotel were the owner, 51-year-old Mohammad Moeini, and two employees who also lived at the motel, 61-year-old Laura Lehman and 55-year-old Chad Green. Following these shootings, Reynolds stole a victim's car and drove to Gulfport.
It was in Gulfport, near the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Rio Grande Street, that Reynolds carjacked William Waltman, who was in a city vehicle. During the carjacking, Reynolds shot Waltman multiple times. Waltman was rushed to a local hospital where he tragically died during surgery. His family remembers him as a loving husband, father of two, and grandfather of six, who had a passion for music and was a 'jack of all trades.'
After abandoning Waltman's work truck, Jeremy Reynolds barricaded himself inside a convenience store in Gulfport. A standoff with law enforcement ensued, but no shots were fired by officers. Reynolds was later found dead inside the store. The coroner determined that he died from smoke inhalation after setting a mattress on fire inside the building. No apparent trauma was found on his body, and a handgun and a rifle were recovered from the scene.
